Wednesday, September 26, 2007

According to AP, a federal judge placed tighter restrictions on Michael Vick (aka Ron Mexico) on Wednesday after the Atlanta Falcons quarterback tested positive for marijuana. Because of the result, U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson placed special conditions on Vick's release, including restricting him to his home between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. with electronic monitoring and ordering him to submit to random drug testing.

Vick, who has admitted bankrolling a dogfighting operation on property he owns in Surry County in his written federal plea, is scheduled for sentencing Dec. 10. He faces up to five years in prison.

Because Vick violated the conditions of his release, Hudson could take that into consideration during sentencing, said Linda Malone, a criminal procedure expert and Marshall-Wythe Foundation professor of law at the College of William and Mary.

"Every judge considers pretty seriously if they feel that the defendant has flaunted the conditions for release," Malone said.

Here’s how it goes. Five beautiful golf courses, 2 horse races the equivalent of our famous Virginia Gold Cup, 283 pubs (Irish Coffee optional), and the town where we are headquartered wins the All-Irish Gaelic Football Championship – their version of our Super Bowl. No, they didn’t have a parade. They had two. We were in it. It ended at a pub.

All you need to get around is a mini-van which after a few days smells like somebody opened a full service pub (smoking and drinking) inside the laundry basket in a high school boys' locker room...There's a golf ball in there somewhere...

NC State's Gavin Grant sees great things for the Wolfpack this upcoming ACC hoops season. He not only sees them as an NCAA tournament team, but much, much more. In a recent ESPN interview he said: "With the incoming freshmen we have coming in here and what we have coming back, I don't see us losing any more than four games this year," Grant began. "Honestly. If we stay healthy, I think we have the talent to be a Final Four team and contend for a national championship."

Hmmm…Gavin, after a world class creampuff non-conference schedule, you open up conference play January 12th against UNC at Chapel Hill. Don’t count your Tar Heels, before they are hatched. Where the heck is Julius “Snapple” Hodges when we need him?

OFFENSIVE LINEMAN--Christian Capote, Clemson, Offensive Tackle, 6-4, 300, Senior, Miami, Fla. Against NC State on Saturday, Capote led all offensive linemen with a 91 percent film grade. In the Tigers' 42-20 win, he registered a career-high 11 knockdown blocks as the Clemson offense totaled 340 yards rushing and 608 overall.

DEFENSIVE LINEMAN--Jeffrey Fitzgerald, Virginia, Def. End, 6-3, 279, Sophomore, Richmond, Va. In the Cavaliers' 28-23 home win against Georgia Tech on Saturday, Fitzgerald scored a touchdown for the Virginia while collecting five tackles, including 2.5 for loss, a forced fumble and a sack.DEFENSIVE BACK--Alphonso Smith, Wake Forest, Cornerback, 5-9, 191, Junior, Pahokee, Fl. With 1:10 remaining in the third quarter and his team down 24-3, Smith picked off a pass in his own end zone and raced 100-yards for the score.

SPECIALIST--Darrell Blackman, NC State, Wide Receiver, 5-10, 205, Senior, Williamsport, Pa. In the Wolfpack's home game against the Clemson Tigers on Saturday, Blackman had 200 yards of all-purpose yardage.

Clearly, with the President and Vice President of the Fauquier Youth Football Saturday Morning/Monday Morning Quarterback Club out of the country, the mighty-mighty Broncos lost their groove and their chance at the the Five- and Six-Year-Old Pee Wee/Instructional Football League National Championship Game. On Saturday, September 15, the Broncos were obliterated by the Vikings. The Vikings broke every rule known to 5/6 youth football including completing FORWARD passes. (That's gotta be illegal!) Their defense figured out the Broncos signature scoring play, student body right, in short order. Unfortunately, the Broncos fared no better on the 22nd versus the Hornets. The loss really “stung” said several of the players. (Hey, they're 5 and 6, what do you want?)

Following the loss to the Vikings, the Broncos plummeted in the Sports Illustrated Kids magazine poll, and the Five- and Six-Year-Old Pee Wee/Instructional Football League National Championship Series Poll (56PWIFLNCS). All chances of a birth in the Bob The Builder Tootsie Pop 56PWIFLNCS Championship Game Bowl are all but out of reach. Oddly, niether the kids nor thier parents seem to mind…

Ramseur, NC local hero Scott Riddle threw for 368 yards and four touchdowns to Terell Hudgins, who set a single-game school record with 16 receptions Saturday as Elon routed Liberty 42-14.

Riddle, who completed 33 of 39 passes, led the Phoenix (2-1) to scores on their first two possessions. He capped a 69-yard drive with a 1-yard run with 9:09 left in the opening quarter. On Elon's next possession, Riddle hit Hudgins on a 32-yard touchdown pass with 4:27 left in the period. Riddle connected with Hudgins for a 24-yard score with 4:50 left in the half, and Riddle finished the half with a 5-yard dash with 47 seconds remaining.

Michael Vick (aka Ron Mexico) and three co-defendants were indicted by a grand jury Tuesday on state charges related to a dogfighting ring operated on Mexicos Virginia property.

Mexico, who already pleaded guilty in federal court to a dogfighting conspiracy charge and is awaiting sentencing on Dec. 10, was indicted for beating or killing or causing dogs to fight other dogs and engaging in or promoting dogfighting.

The grand jury passed on indicting the Atlanta Falcons quarterback and two co-defendants on eight counts of animal cruelty, which would have exposed them to as many as 40 years in prison if convicted.

Any animal cruelty charge in Virginia is punishable by up to five years in prison. And in a written plea for the federal case, Mexico admitted helping kill six to eight dogs at the Surry County property. Similarly, the three co-defendants in the case have admitted their involvement and detailed what they claim was Mexico's role.

For county law enforcement officials who started the investigation with a raid on Mexico's property in late April, those signed statements provided ample evidence to support further prosecution.

Surry County Commonwealth's Attorney Gerald G. Poindexter asked that the four be arraigned Oct. 3 and requested that each be released on a $50,000 personal recognizance bond. None of the defendants nor their lawyers were in court.

OOPS. Appalachain State, hailed as the King of the New Football Mid Majors after beating Michigan at the big house, suffered a little letdown to Wofford College (Terriers, 1,350 students, Spartansburg, SC) losing by a score of 42-31. The Mountaineers were ranked #1 in the Football Championship Subdivision prior to the loss at the Terriers' Gibbs Field in front of a hostile crowd of 11,476.Word is Iranian president Mahmoud "I Am Not a Kook" Ahmadinejad was elated.

HEY, CRAZY HAT DUDE, WE'RE TALKIN' ARMY HERE...A fan of the Boston College Eagles keeps his eyes on the action during a game against the Army Black Knights at Alumni Stadium September 22, 2007 in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.

TAH MAKES A BIRDIE. Count it. That would be one. At least it was at a famous hole. The Dell at Lahinch is world famous for a variety of reasons. It's a 156 yard par 3. For starters, one has no idea where the green is as it is completely hidden behind a three-story sand dune. There is a white aiming rock, that marks the pin's position. (The rock moves as the pin position changes). The green is about 30 yards wide and no more than 5 yards deep, it is tucked in a dell up against three tall dunes and the sensation of standing on it is sort of like standing in a room without a ceiling.

(This photo was taken from the #7 tee box. The tee box for The Dell is to the right of the big mound on the right)

Here's where it gets tricky. The tee box faces the ocean. The ocean is where the gale force winds come unabated from Greenland or some damn place out in the North Atlantic. The caddie instructed TAH to hit the 200+ club where we might normally hit either 8 or 9 depending on weather, BAC, general health conditions, etc. So, a 4-iron it is, and a rocket one at that. It landed about 15 feet behind the flag (along with Dr. Rob Ho Kee's rescue club shot). Lucked in the birdie putt.

No, the Moron of the Week isn’t Redskin offensive genius Al Saunders who’s 700 page playbook doesn’t include a quarterback sneak for 6’5” Jason Campbell, it’s this moron. Saunders finished a close second. The guy that made the Eagles wear those awful unis last Sunday was third.

From out friends at Deadspin:The couple in this picture is Simone Callahan and Shane Warne. He's apparently one of the best cricket players in the world. She's his wife. Well, for now anyway.

As Callahan got the couple's three children ready for school in Melbourne, a text dropped into the inbox of her mobile phone, she told New Idea magazine. "Hey beautiful, I'm just talking to my kids, the back door's open," the message from Warne said.

We've never accidentally sent a text message to the wrong person, but we don't know anything about cricket either. It's possible it's just part of the sport…

WHERE IN THE WORLD...?

The way it is...

The way it was...

TAH DAMN GOOD CAUSE OF THE MONTH

NORTHERN HAITI HOPE FOUNDATION: After our recent trip to Haiti, we vowed to do more to help. Clean water is a critical issue for all Haitians. It's particularly problematic for those in rural areas. For $2,000 to $5,000 we can build a new well in a rural village as part of a program facilitated by the St. Barthelemy School and the Warrenton, VA Rotary. Send your donation to Wells of Health and Hope, c/o GPetty-VTA, 38 Garrett Street, Warrenton, VA 20186 and keep your eye on T.A.H. for progress reports. Thanks! CLICK ON THE PHOTO FOR MORE INFO.